Medical data shows rising diabetes problem in Karnataka

The release of medical data compiled by an online pharmaceutical company has revealed a gap in doctor-to-patient ratios across India and a high incidence of diabetes in Karnataka.

Released last week as part of a campaign to link the health of the nation with the Lok Sabha elections, the medical data which was provided by Medlife, came in the form of 29 report cards — one for each state — showing that the treatment gap in states such as Uttar Pradesh was as wide as one doctor per 20,000 patients.

In Karnataka, the ratio is one doctor for every 13,699 patients and one bed for 326 patients. The dataset also showed that the state had a death rate of 42 people every day to diabetes.

Dr T S Prabhakara, the Director of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, said the state is carrying out a programme to curb diabetes deaths by introducing health and wellness centres at the sub-service level in every district.

“Operationally and administratively, these centres are set below the Primary Health Centre (PHC) level, and through them, we hope to tackle a wide range of non-communicable diseases in the state, including diabetes,” Dr Prabhakar said.

At the current time, there is an average of one primary health centre per 1,000 people in the state. However, Dr Prabhakhar highlighted the challenges of tackling diabetes, describing it as a “lifestyle illness.”

To curb diabetes means addressing the problem early, the director said, adding that the department of health was running awareness programmes in schools to highlight the importance of eating healthy and exercising.

Treatment gap

According to Dr Prabhakar, however, the government has few solutions to tackle the glaring treatment gap.

Although the official requirement is that every primary health centre should have one doctor holding a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degrees, there are many centres without one, the director said, adding that part of the problem was the difficulty of drawing qualified doctors to rural areas.

“The ayurvedic doctors are filling the gaps,” he said.